Howe & Bassett Company

Hello, New York residents! When it comes to significant home projects like bathroom remodels or urgent plumbing repairs, choosing the right contractor in Rochester, NY, is a decision that can greatly impact your peace of mind and the outcome of your project. Howe & Bassett Company has been a name in the Rochester community, offering services that span from detailed plumbing work to broader home renovations. This article aims to provide a factual and informative overview of Howe & Bassett Company, drawing directly from available public information and customer experiences to help you understand what they offer and how they operate, from a local New Yorker's perspective.

Howe & Bassett Company is a service provider in Rochester, NY, known for its work in plumbing and potentially other home improvement areas like bathroom remodeling. Their scope of work, as indicated by customer reviews, ranges from addressing intricate plumbing issues such as slow drains and venting problems to undertaking more extensive renovation projects. For homeowners in the New York region, understanding the capabilities of a local company like Howe & Bassett is crucial. They are involved in the process of diagnosing and rectifying plumbing malfunctions, which can involve significant structural work like cutting into walls and ceilings to access pipes. Additionally, their involvement in larger projects suggests they handle various aspects of home renovation, making them a potential point of contact for integrated home improvement needs. Their presence in the Rochester market means they are a recognized option for local residents seeking specialized plumbing solutions or considering renovation work.

Howe & Bassett Company is conveniently located at 180 N Clinton Ave, Rochester, NY 14604, USA. This address places them centrally within Rochester, making them accessible to a broad range of residential and commercial clients across the city and surrounding areas. A central location is often beneficial for service companies as it allows for quicker dispatch times, especially for urgent plumbing concerns that require immediate attention. For New York residents, having a contractor based within the city limits can mean shorter travel times for technicians and a better understanding of local building codes and infrastructure specific to Rochester. While a physical address provides a point of contact, the nature of their work often involves on-site visits, and their location facilitates efficient deployment to various neighborhoods within the Rochester metropolitan area. This accessibility helps in managing logistics for projects that require multiple visits or extensive work.

Howe & Bassett Company offers services primarily focused on plumbing, with indications of broader home remodeling capabilities, especially in bathrooms. Their work, as described by customers, includes:

• Drain and Pipe Diagnostics and Repair: This involves analyzing plumbing issues using specialized tools like cameras in drains to identify blockages or structural problems within piping systems. They undertake significant repair work, including cutting into ceilings and walls to access and replace faulty pipes, such as running entire new pipes to resolve slow draining and venting problems.

• Bathroom Remodeling: Their services extend to comprehensive bathroom renovations, which can include plumbing fixture installation (showers, toilets, sinks), and potentially aspects like flooring, electrical work (e.g., dimmer switch installation, outlet replacements), and general construction associated with a remodel.

• Fixture Installation: This includes installing various plumbing fixtures like showers, toilets, and sinks, ensuring they are properly set up and functional.

• Electrical Work (as part of remodels): They claim to handle electrical work, which may involve installing dimmer switches and new outlets.

• Clean-up After Work: For certain projects, they are noted to clean up after themselves, including patching holes made during repairs, leaving only touch-up painting for the homeowner.

Based on customer feedback, Howe & Bassett Company presents a mixed bag of features and highlights that are important for prospective clients in Rochester, NY, to consider.

• Effective Problem Solving for Complex Plumbing Issues: A significant highlight is their ability to diagnose and solve difficult plumbing problems. For instance, in one case, they "analyzed the problem via camera in the drain" and successfully "ran a whole new pipe to the sink which solved the slow draining bathroom/venting problem." This demonstrates technical capability in resolving deep-seated plumbing malfunctions.

• Structural Remediation Skills: The willingness and ability to "cut holes in ceilings and walls to get at the pipes" and then "patched the holes" shows they are equipped for intrusive repairs and aim to leave the home structurally sound post-repair, minimizing homeowner burden for subsequent cosmetic fixes.

• Cleanliness Post-Repair (in some cases): For the specific drain repair job, the customer noted, "They cleaned up after themselves and even patched the holes. Perfect. All we had to do was touch up paint." This indicates a high level of professionalism in terms of site management for certain types of projects.

• Challenges with Communication and Project Management: A significant area of concern highlighted by a detailed review is communication. The customer experienced "very challenging" communication, including unread emails and unreliable phone calls/texts. There were also issues with knowing "when to expect them," and a lack of consistent notification regarding work schedules.

• Prolonged Project Timelines: For larger projects like a bathroom remodel, the approach of sending "only one or two guys for a few hours of work each week" resulted in a project extending over "about 6 months," with instances of them "not hear from them for weeks" and eventually "stopped showing up once the project was almost complete." This suggests challenges with efficient project planning and resource allocation.

• Inconsistent Work Quality and Attention to Detail: The bathroom remodel review indicated several quality issues, including a shower that "was not installed correctly and required several attempts to stop leaking," a toilet installed "too high" with "inadequate flushing power" (requiring another plumber to fix), and issues with electrical work (dimmer switch, color matching outlet covers).

• Poor Site Cleanliness and Protection (in some cases): Contrary to the positive drain repair clean-up, the remodel review cited "Trash bags were left in my house which leaked sewage on the floor," failure to consistently lay "floor protection down" (resulting in scratched flooring and messy stairs), and concrete mixed on a neighbor's lawn. Tools and materials were also left for extended periods.

• Supply Chain and Ordering Issues: Delays and problems with ordering fixtures through their supplier, including a "broken sink" and "empty faucet box," were noted, along with a lack of delivery date communication.

• Customer Service and Accountability Concerns: The remodel customer cited "a lot of excuses," with a consistent justification being that it was "only a 'basement bathroom'," despite clear communication of quality expectations. The technician's actions regarding turning off kitchen water without clear instructions also caused distress.

For inquiries about plumbing services or home renovation projects in Rochester, NY, you can contact Howe & Bassett Company using the following details:

Address: 180 N Clinton Ave, Rochester, NY 14604, USA

Phone: (585) 271-4040

For residents of Rochester, NY, considering Howe & Bassett Company for their plumbing or remodeling needs, it is important to weigh the varied experiences of past customers. On one hand, their demonstrated capability in diagnosing and rectifying complex plumbing issues, such as rerouting pipes and managing the associated structural work like patching walls and ceilings, suggests a strong technical proficiency in specific plumbing repairs. For a homeowner dealing with a critical drain or pipe problem, this expertise could be invaluable, as evidenced by a positive review highlighting a successful resolution and good clean-up for such a job. This indicates that for focused, technical plumbing fixes, they possess the necessary skills.

However, for larger, multi-faceted projects like a bathroom remodel, the provided customer feedback reveals significant challenges in project management, communication, and consistent quality control. Issues like prolonged timelines, inconsistent scheduling, variable workmanship across different aspects (plumbing and electrical), and site cleanliness concerns are substantial points for consideration. While the company may excel in specific technical plumbing repairs, a comprehensive renovation project seems to expose weaknesses in overall coordination and client relations. Therefore, New York locals should assess their specific needs carefully. For straightforward plumbing diagnostics and repairs, Howe & Bassett Company might be a suitable option given their technical problem-solving abilities. For extensive remodels or projects requiring sustained communication and stringent project oversight, it would be prudent for potential clients to conduct thorough due diligence, perhaps discussing these specific concerns upfront or seeking more current, detailed references for similar large-scale projects.

Howe & Bassett Company

180 N Clinton Ave, Rochester, NY 14604, USA